Conservation and Education Volunteer Projects in the Galapagos Islands 1st August 2018
HELP US PRESERVE PARADISE
Editorial Projects Galapagos was set up to protect the Galapagos Islands and their flora and fauna and to educate the local population in order to help them find jobs when they leave school, by developing their knowledge of English and other languages and educating them about the importance of preserving the islands and their treasures. Our volunteers teach art, music dance and sport to the local community and run summer camps for the children every year.
Galapagos Islands ▶ The Galapagos Islands are located in an archipelago about 960 km west of the Ecuadorian coast. They were recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1978 and serve as a model for conservation, recovery and sustainable development. ▶ San Cristobal is the easternmost island in the archipelago and is also the administrative capital of the province. It has a population of about 10,000 inhabitants, most of whom live in the capital, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. ▶ The inhabitants of the island have basic services and live in a safe, reliable environment, typical of small communities. However, it needs to improve the educational levels of the population and improve the conservation of the environment. Projects Galapagos focuses its efforts on both these major tasks.
Vision and Mission ▶ Project Galapagos Association was established with a view to making San Cristobal Island a beacon for conservation and education. It is very important because it helps the island, the community and their flora and fauna. It is a focus for the development of the Galapagos Islands’ resources and treasures. ▶ It was created with the vision of helping the local children and community, by developing education, conservation, art, language, music and sports projects.
Education Projects ▶ The local community of the Galapagos Islands is mainly responsible for their conservation. Working in education and with local children and young people and giving them opportunities is the best way to ensure respect for the ecosystem. ▶ In our education project, we collaborate with local educational institutions, providing our experience and that of our volunteers. In addition, we have our own language teaching centre which influences the teaching of English, as tourism is one of the main activities of the island and that language will open doors for our students. ▶ We also think that our multicultural volunteers are sure to enrich the educational experience, by exposing our young people to a wide variety of nationalities and languages.
Teaching Project
Teaching Projects
▶ 1. Teaching English and other languages to people from local community ▶ 2. Teaching sports ▶ 3. Teaching music, singing and arts ▶ 4. Annual summer camp
Teaching in Local Schools
â–ś Our volunteers also help teachers in the local schools by giving extra attention to the students and co-teaching English classes.
Arts Projects The ancient Greeks said that art is “the food of the spirit.� We contribute to creating a better community by supporting the teaching of various arts, such as painting, dance and music. Projects Galapagos collaborates with music and plastic arts teachers in different schools and organisations in our municipality, as well as in our own summer camp. We currently receive volunteers to collaborate in the areas of visual arts, such as painting and murals, and music and dance education.
Art and Craft Projects â–ś
Art and craft projects include using recycled materials and painting murals.
Art and Culture Projects ∙ Art – Teach our children and teenagers art, including painting, drawing and working with recycled materials. ∙ Large murals – Paint educational murals in classrooms in the schools and on outside walls around town. ∙ Dance – Teach different dance techniques to the local community. ∙ Music – Teach children and teenagers how to play different musical instruments, such as guitars and pianos, as well as conducting singing.
Mural Painting
Care Projects Our care project focuses on working with the youngest children (kindergarten) because we know that childhood is one of the most important stages in the formation of a person. We try to influence and reinforce the skills and values of our smallest children. We work in collaboration with San Cristรณbal kindergartens and our own summer camp to improve: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Personal hygiene Basic literacy and motor skills Independence Empathy and good behaviour when dealing with the other children All kinds of abilities that give the children a greater understanding of their environment
Care Projects â–ś Volunteers work with young children in local kindergartens.
Sport Projects Sport is recognised today as one of the best schools for life. It teaches young people the values of solidarity, effort, and competitiveness, while improving their health and physical condition and removing them from bad habits. Projects Galapagos understands that sport is a basic tool for the development of young people. For years we have supported various institutions, such as the municipality’s football school, local dance associations and physical education teachers.
CONSERVATION PROJECTS
Conservation The Galapagos Islands are a living laboratory for nature and evolution, but they are also an extremely sensitive, fragile ecosystem that deserves and needs to be taken care of. In our conservation projects, we collaborate with various institutions such as the Galapagos National Park, the Marine Reserve, and the municipality of San Cristรณbal, helping with the management and preservation of the island and its inhabitants. Some projects include:
Conservation Projects ▶ Collecting plastics and waste on the coastline, in the most accessible areas of the main town and local beaches and in the most remote parts of the island. ▶ Counting and monitoring several endemic species, such as sea lions, iguanas and sea birds. ▶ Creation and managing endemic seeds and plants. ▶ Feeding and managing giant tortoises in the local giant tortoise breeding centre. ▶ Developing an awareness of the importance of conservation with the local population. ▶ Working in the Galapagos National Park Nursery and one belonging to Projects Galapagos. ▶ Helping local farmers in their small farms.
GALAPAGUERA • TORTOISE BREEDING CENTRE • CLEARING SPACES FOR NESTING • FEEDING TORTOISES • CLEANING POOL AREAS • MONITORING GIANT TORTOISES
PETREL NESTING PROJECT • MONITORING PETRELS • CLEANING NESTING AREAS • PLACING RAT POISON IN PLASTIC TUBES IN FRONT OF NESTS
Endemic Marine Bird
GREENHOUSE • PREPARING SOIL • WATERING PLANTS • ERADICATING INVASIVE & INTRODUCED PLANTS • REFORESTING WITH ENDEMIC & NATIVE PLANTS • MAINTENANCE
ECOCENTRE IN THE HIGHLANDS We have our own eco-centre in the Highlands, a short drive from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Our conservation office is based here and some of our conservation volunteers live here. We also hold parties and other events to celebrate your presence on our island. Our work includes: •PREPARING SOIL •WATERING PLANTS •DEVELOPMENT •BUILDING •MAINTENANCE •EDUCATION
Before
Today
RESTORATION OF ENDEMIC AND NATIVE PLANTS
Black Mangrove
Darwin’s Cotton
Miconia
Legocarpus
REFORESTATION
BEACH CLEAN UPS
SEA LION PROJECT • STUDYING SEA LION POPULATION ON ISLAND • MONITORING SEA LIONS • CHECKING HEALTH
MARINE IGUANA PROJECT • STUDYING POPULATION ON ISLAND • MONITORING ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT • CHECKING HEALTH
BIRD MONITORING • STUDYING BIRD POPULATIONS • MONITORING ACTIVITIES AND IMPACT OF HUMANS ON BIRD POPULATIONS • CHECKING HEALTH OF BIRDS
SCHEDULE
ALL YEAR ROUND PROJECTS
Social Projects Volunteers also engage in other social activities that support our local community, such as painting schools or cleaning beaches.
Other Activities â–ś Depending on the interests of our interns and volunteers, it is possible to propose your own ideas for projects and/or carry out original research for your studies.
CONTACT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR ACTIVITIES AND HOW YOU CAN WORK WITH US, PLEASE CONTACT PROJECTSGALAPAGOS@GMAIL.COM OR APPLY ONLINE IN THE PROJECTS ABROAD WEBSITE. WEBSITES http://callingthegalapagos.pbworks.com/ http://summercamp2014.pbworks.com/ http://www.scoop.it/t/ielts-esp-and-call http://www.scoop.it/t/spanish-kindergartens
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